Month: June 2020

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All sorts of birthday celebrations

birthday celebrations

Most of us love birthday celebrations, whether they’re our own or for others. It’s fun to make someone feel special for a day (or more). And it’s just as fun to have others do the same for you! After all, the world wouldn’t be as great if YOU weren’t in it…

Birthday celebrations around the world

Birthday cards and presents, cakes with candles and singing 🎶Happy Birthday🎶 are all customs we’re familiar with in the UK (and most other English speaking countries). And of course, some other cultures and countries have their own unique ways of celebrating.

I love the Chinese tradition of eating a longevity noodle. This is an egg noodle that is so long it can fill entire bowl, and the idea is to slurp it up without breaking it apart, so that you don’t cut your lift short.

India also has its own unique take on birthday celebrations. In addition to wearing new brightly coloured clothes on your birthday, you also get to eat your dessert before your dinner. Once the birthday song has been sung the birthday kid slices the cake and then feeds a small slice to the guests, who then return the favour. Seems sensible to me – you don’t want to be too full of food to enjoy the cake to the max!

Of course the world has grown metaphorically smaller and people from different cultures have started hanging out together more. As a result, there is a lot of mix and matching going on, which I think is fab. Because we can never have too many different ideas for interesting ways to celebrate, right?!

For instance in Japan, prior to the 1950s, everyone’s birthday was celebrated on the same day – New Year’s Day. It was traditionally believed that this was the day that everyone got a year older. Times have changed though and nowadays birthdays are celebrated individually with parties and cake, influenced by western culture.

Similarly, the Mexican custom of celebrating birthdays with a piñata has now been widely adopted in the UK and around the USA. And kids are loving it! What could be better than bashing something with a stick until sweets pour out? Though there is the danger that this could happen…

via GIPHY

There are a couple of traditions I’d probably prefer not to adopt… In Ireland ‘bumping’ is a common birthday custom. The birthday boy or girl is held upside down and their head (gently) bumped on the floor once for each year of age. And in Argentina kids get their ears pulled… Again the number of times equals the number of years they’ve been alive.

Different cultures also celebrate different ages as more ‘important’. In the UK 18 is considered the age you become an adult (and can buy your own pint at the pub), whereas in the US and South Africa it tends to be 21. Sweet sixteen is also celebrated in the US and Canada. In Mexican culture the Quinceanera is an important tradition – celebrated on a girl’s fifteenth birthday.

Birthday songs

With all the different languages in the world it’s not surprising that there are squillions of different birthday songs too. I love the sound of the Norwegian birthday song – “Hurra for deg”! Here it is on Youtube if you fancy a listen 😃

Your birthday, your way

Birthday traditions are fun, but I also think you can choose to celebrate your birthday your way. If you don’t like big parties, it’s perfectly fine to have a few one-on-one celebrations with your close friends instead. If jumping out of a plane on your birthday works for you, then go for it (please use a parachute). Or if you prefer to just stuff your face with cake on your own, that’s fine too. There’s a lot of stuff we have to do in life that we don’t have much say over, so I reckon we should take a stand on our own birthdays and make sure that at least one day a year is spent the way we want it to be!

via GIPHY

And while you’re here, check out my range of birthday cards for your favourite people with birthdays coming up soon!

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Homemade edible gifts

homemade cupcakes gift

Left it a bit late to buy a gift? Not quite sure what to get? Homemade edible gifts are a terrific solution as you can whip them up yourself really quickly. And everyone has to eat, right? At the most you might need to make a quick trip to the supermarket and spend a few minutes to an hour actually making the edibles, so within a couple of hours you’ve got yourself a fabulous present to give that is much more personal than anything you could’ve bought elsewhere anyway 😃

How much effort you put into making your edible gifts is completely up to you. If you’re in a bit of a rush then you can just assemble a variety of bought treats in a basket or hamper. If you have some time to spare but not much budget then making something from scratch will usually work out cheaper. Or you can go for something in-between.

Ideas for homemade edible gifts

Whether you’re making them yourself, or just assembling a selection of yummy things you’ve bought in a shop, there are so many things you can choose from:

  • Biscuits – sweet or savoury
  • Chocolate or sweets – homemade or bought
  • Toffee or fudge
  • Macarons, cake pops, cupcakes or muffins
  • A whole cake!
  • Tray bakes or bars
  • Ingredients e.g. to make a cake or biscuits – these look great layered in a jar
  • Coffee, tea or hot chocolate – it’s generally best to go posh with these
  • Jams or chutneys
  • Themed seasonings for keen cooks e.g. for Indian food, or a range of different fancy salts or peppers
  • Dried, candied or fresh fruit

If you’re looking for edible gift recipes and more ideas then take a look at Pinterest – there are loads of ideas on there.

homemade biscuits
Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

Presentation ideas for your homemade gifts

  • Hampers and ‘bouquets’ – for anything and everything
  • Mason jars – for baking mixes, biscuits, sweets, etc
  • Boxes – for tray bakes, cupcakes, muffins and whole cakes
  • Tins – for biscuits, cupcakes, tray bakes or whole cakes, depending on the shape and size
  • Gift bags – best for packaged foods (make your own gift bags)

These are just some ideas but you can be as creative as you like – it’s a great way to get rid of containers that are too nice to throw away but that you don’t really want anymore 😁

Homemade edible gift in box
Photo by Jennifer Schmidt on Unsplash

Making it personal

A handmade edible gift is already more personal than something bought in a shop, but by putting some extra thought into it you can make it even more so. If you have friends who are vegan, coeliacs, on low carb diets or are just known for being coffee freaks or chocoholics you can show how well you know them by creating a gift that really suits them. It’s so easy to Google recipes for all sorts of preferences, allergies and fetishes!
You can also personalise the way you present your gift, for example by making a cute label for the jar or tin, or decorating the cake you’ve baked with their name in icing.

Why homemade edible gifts are the BEST

There are so many reasons why a homemade edible gift is so fabulous to give…

  • Shows how thoughtful you are and that you really know the person it’s for
  • Can be whipped up in a very short space of time
  • Generally costs less than an equivalent bought elsewhere
  • Gets eaten up so you can keep giving the same terrific gift over and over again
  • If for some reason they’re not too keen on it they can get friends or family to finish it off without you ever knowing… it’s much harder to pass on other types of unwanted gifts 😆
  • And they don’t have to find space for it if they don’t want to – they can just eat it all up straight away!

I know I love getting homemade gifts, especially if I can eat them… and I don’t think I’m that unusual. Give it a go. And if you post your awesome homemade edibles on social media, please tag me – I’d love to see!

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Gift wrapping ideas for Father's Day

fathers day gift wrapping shirt gift bag

So you’ve got the Father’s Day card and gift, but you need a way to present them nicely to your Dad… I love to wrap presents up in interesting, fun or just plain gorgeous ways. So I’ve been doing my research to find some clever gift wrapping ideas for Father’s Day. And I’m sharing them with you, you lucky duck!

I should also mention that I’m not a massive fan of buying big rolls of wrapping paper. It just seems so wasteful. I can be a bit tight sometimes but also, you know, the environment! So I love the idea of reusing old wrapping paper, gift bags and other bits I have lying around the house.

DIY gift bags

diy gift bag
Brown paper gift bag

Gift bags are so easy if you have something awkwardly shaped or a few bits and pieces to put together. And they can be reused by your Dad next time he gives a gift so he’ll be grateful for that too 😄

You can easily make your own gift bags from old (or new) wrapping paper, brown paper or even newspaper. And you can also make them exactly the right size. (Am I the only person who can never find a bag that’s not too wide or too tall for the present I’ve bought?!)

This tutorial shows you how to make a DIY gift bag (the examples are for Christmas but obviously apply to Father’s Day too. However I think the tartan is great for Dads at any time of year!) Here’s one I made on the left. I just used an ordinary hole punch, so you don’t need a rectangular punch as suggested.

fathers day gift wrapping bottle
My effort

Bottle wrapping ideas

If you’ve chosen a boozy gift for your Dad then this YouTube video on how to wrap a bottle might come in handy.
I must admit I didn’t like that you could still see what the bottle was inside, so I added a paper ‘cap’ to the top of the bottle to cover it. I used black tissue paper, brown paper for the cap and that same teal ribbon. Next time I’ll also use double sided tape instead of sellotape as I think it will look neater. My effort is on the right…

Clever decorative touches for your wrapping

A gift wrapped in plain white or brown paper or newspaper can be made to look extra special with a few clever decorative touches. I saw an idea on iStock where a gift was tied up with a tape measure bow which I thought was a terrific idea for a Dad who’s a DIY enthusiast.

You can also stick interesting bits and pieces straight onto the wrapping paper.

Here’s a tutorial for an origami shirt that you can fold yourself. I made mine from an A5 piece of plain white printer paper. I used some ribbon for the tie (yes, it’s that same teal ribbon again…) Of course, you could add a bow tie, pockets or buttons instead if you wanted to. Stick it onto a card, a wrapped present or a gift bag like I’ve done and it makes it that much cuter. You could also fold money or a printed Amazon voucher to make these types of paper gifts look more interesting!

More ideas

DIY Gift Wrapping Idea for Musicians by Curious Doodles
DIY Gift Wrapping Idea for Musicians by Curious Doodles

Here are some other gift wrapping ideas I found…

I hope you’ve found this helpful. My Dad tends to get the same types of gifts over and over (booze, chocolates, etc). He doesn’t really need anything else. So by putting in a bit of extra effort with the presentation, he knows I’ve still put some thought into it. That’s got to earn me some brownie points, right? 😁

If you try any of these gift wrapping ideas, or something new inspired by them, please share on social media and tag me. I’d really love to see how your efforts come out!

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My greeting cards confession

simply the best greeting card

Okay, it’s confession time… I have to admit that I don’t send all that many greeting cards. Yep, you heard right. You might think this makes me a terrible hypocrite, being a designer and seller of my own range of greeting cards. But (a) I’m rubbish at pretending so I might as well get it out there. And (b) I can explain why I don’t send a lot of cards as well as why I send those few that I do… so read on if you’re curious to find out more…

Firstly, let me be clear, I DO think that sending someone a greeting card can be a wonderful thing. BUT I only do it if it’s for the right reasons.

Reasons not to send a card

One thing I really hate is feeling like I have to do something that I don’t really want to do… obligation and duty are not words I have a lot of positive associations with.

I also don’t like to make other people feel this way – that I expect them to do something they really don’t want to do. Even with my kids I very seldom demand that they do stuff – I tend to go the persuasive route and convince them that it’s a good idea rather than make them feel obliged to do it out of guilt or fear (some might call this brainwashing, I suppose… )

It also makes me feel weird if I get a card from someone that I’m not particularly close to, especially if it professes more friendship or emotion that we’ve ever actually shared…

via GIPHY

So I’d rather not give a card than give one insincerely or out of a sense of duty. Because I think that person will know!
I remember being in a relationship where we always seemed to have an argument the day before his birthday or  Valentine’s Day and I’d grit my teeth as I’d try to write something nice in his card. That was crappy. My current other half and I usually don’t give each other cards for birthdays or on Valentine’s Day but every now and then we’ll surprise each other for no reason at all – this makes me much happier 🥰

I also don’t see the point in sending a card that doesn’t really say anything to the person you’re giving it to. If I’m going to send a generic card with a generic message inside and just sign my name at the end, I might as well just go onto Facebook and write “Happy Birthday” on their timeline. Yes I showed them I remembered, but I put no effort in – it was more to make me feel like I’m a good person than to make that person’s day…

Now I’m definitely not saying I’ve never done this type of thing before. I am sometimes a bit of a wimp and really hate conflict so I do sometimes do stuff out of obligation or fear despite my aversion to it… But I mostly try not to. And I don’t think you should have to either.

Good reasons to send greeting cards

Having said all that, I do sometimes send greeting cards to friends and family anyway. And here’s why…
I love that feeling when you see a card and straight away think “Yesssss! I’ve GOT to give this card to [insert best friend here]”. Either it refers to a private joke between you, or perfectly sums up your friendship or an opinion you both have. I’ll always buy cards like this – sometimes I’ll send them straight away and sometimes (if they’re not time sensitive) I’ll keep them for the next time that person has a birthday. Cards like this make both of us feel good and that’s a terrific reason to send one.

If I really care A LOT about someone and I want to send them a birthday card (or other special occasion card) but don’t have one handy, I’ll go out of my way to find one I think they’ll really like. I guess I sort of see the cards and gifts in the same way – they should be suited to the person you’re giving them to. And if I can’t find the perfect card (or gift), I’ll quite often make one.

And that is kind of how I ended up creating greeting cards in the first place…
Getting a really great card from someone feels kind of like getting a lovely big hug out of nowhere. And I think if you’re going to go to the trouble of finding and sending a card then it might as well be one that makes them feel like this!

via GIPHY

Terrific people deserve terrific cards. This is partly why I started creating custom cartoon portraits – they’re about as personal as you can get with a card and they can say exactly the right thing. And my range of music themed cards is another way of sharing something you have in common – music brings people together even better than a good greeting card can! I only create cards that I would be excited to give to someone myself – both quality and message-wise.

So does that make you think I’m a bit less of a hypocrite? I’m really quite the opposite – I only send a card if I really mean it. If you ever get a card from me (that you haven’t bought and paid for 😘) you’ll know that you’re one of those people I consider to be truly terrific!

simply the best greeting card
If you get this card from me you’ll know I really mean it!
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The best boozy gifts for Dads

Best boozy gifts for Dad

Most of us in the UK loooooove our booze and it can make a very handy gift for Dads who are notoriously difficult to buy for. (If your Dad doesn’t drink then you may want to skip this post…) I thought that while I research some gifts for my own Dad I’d share them with you here, as you are no doubt someone who cares about the cards and gifts that you give.
Of course not all alcohol themed gifts have to be actual alcohol so as well as actual booze I’ve found some other prezzies that I consider to be the best boozy gifts for Dads when a slightly more original route is needed.

What sort of booze does your Dad like? Mine is a brandy and beer man (not together…) There may be a slight bias towards these in my ideas but you can usually find something similar in the same shop for different types of drinks. So even if your Dad prefers whisky, wine, flamboyant cocktails or any other alcoholic beverages, you should still get some inspiration for him.

Actual boozy gifts

My parents don’t have a lot of room in their house so getting him actual booze as a gift means they don’t have to find somewhere to store it indefinitely. Here are some ideas I’m considering that offer something more than just the alcohol…

Bucket of beer from Prezzybox
Bucket of beer from Prezzybox

This Bucket of Beer from Prezzybox is more interesting than just beer. He’ll have a range of snacks to munch on whilst sampling the ales – I’m pretty sure my Dad would love this. I quite often create my own hampers for my parents but this is already done for me.

Dark Chocolate and Red Wine Gift Hamper from Chocolate Trading Co
Dark Chocolate and Red Wine Gift Hamper from Chocolate Trading Co

This Dark Chocolate Gift Hamper from the Chocolate Trading Co is another strong contender. Rioja and dark chocolate… yum! Or maybe I’ll suggest that my Dad gets this for me instead 😄 There’s also a Milk Chocolate version with Merlot.

Personalised gifts

Personalised brandy glass by personalisedpresentz on Etsy - best boozy gifts
Personalised brandy glass by personalisedpresentz on Etsy

If your budget is a bit more modest then this personalised brandy glass by Personalisedpresentz on Etsy is a very thoughtful gift – or team it with a bottle of his favourite tipple so that he has a keepsake for when the bottle is empty. You could do the same thing with this personalised beer bottle opener from Not On The High Street.

personalised bottle opener
Personalised bottle opener from Not On The High Street

Other boozy gifts

Brewery Tour and Tasting for Two from Prezzybox - best boozy gifts
Brewery Tour and Tasting for Two from Prezzybox

This Brewery Tour and Tasting for Two from Prezzybox would be a terrific gift if you want something you can do with your Dad (once lockdown is over). I wish I’d found this a long time ago, as  I think my Dad would’ve loved this, but sadly I don’t think his health is up to it any more.

Talking Tables Whisky Board Game from Yes I Want It - best boozy gifts
Talking Tables Whisky Board Game from Yes I Want It

If your Dad is a whisky fan then here’s something else you could do together: play this Whisky board game that you’ve bought him! It says no drinking is required, but I’m pretty sure that’s not a rule…

If your Dad is looking for a new hobby (or you think he should be) then this book, Master of Home Distilling, could teach him how to distill his own booze. It might also make him appreciate it more when you do buy him a bottle of something that actually tastes good! Or you could both give it a go and spend time together that way. There are also brewing kits you can buy for making various different types of alcohol so that’s another option if expecting him to star from scratch seems like a step too far.

I hope these gift ideas are as useful to you as they were to me when I was doing my research for this post. Let me know if you get any of them for your own Dad and whether it was a hit or not – I’m always excited to hear from my readers and get feedback.

Finally, don’t forget to get your Dad a card too – take a look at the range in my shop now.

Wine 50th Birthday Card
Wine 50th Birthday Card
Custom Cartoon Portrait Card for Dad
Custom Cartoon Portrait Card for Dad
Whisky 70th birthday card
Whisky 70th Birthday Card

In the spirit of honesty and openness, I wanted to let you know that a few of the links above are affiliate links. This means I could get a small commission if you click on them and buy, but it won’t cost you anything. And I’ve not recommended anything I don’t think is a terrific gift.